Ebola Zombie
by Lithyka
Summary: Ratchet, dead from the Ebola virus, is alive. Sequel to Ebola.
1. Awoken

Title: **Ebola Zombie**  
Category: Cartoons » Transformers/Beast Wars  
Author: Screamstriker  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Horror/Angst  
Published: 01-19-15, Updated: 01-19-15  
Chapters: 1, Words: 314

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. This is a sequel to my other story, Ebola. It appears this chapter's very short, but it's only some sort of prologue.

Arthur Harrington frowned as he exited the Admin Building and headed towards the Autobots' tent. Some of the locals had ran up to the guards, blabbering something about 'giant metal things.' And, because he was one of the closest to the Autobots, he had been asked to investigate, along with Kate McGregor.

"Hey, Arthur!" called Kate, running over from one of the thousand blue tents pitched in arrays.

Arthur raised a hand in greeting.

"What do you think happened?" asked Kate, panting slightly.

Arthur shrugged, looking up at the sky. "I have no idea. But I did see something that looked like a shooting star streak across the sky. I wonder what it was."

They climbed over the small sand dune that obstructed the Autobot's tent from view.

"Oh my- Arthur! Look!"

Arthur turned and looked, and almost fainted.

"Jolt..." he whispered.

"No, that's Ratchet," Kate corrected him, breathing hard. "He looks like..."

"He's dead."

The two exchanged a glance.

"We have to tell the Autobots," announced Kate.

Arthur shook his head. "They probably already know. The flying star-it was Jolt! Chances are, Ratchet got infected, and told Jolt to go."

He glanced up at the sky again.

"Arthur!"

Arthur quickly turned back, muttering about why something interesting happened every single time he looked up at the sky.

"What?" he asked, not seeing anything unusual.

"Ratchet's arm!"

Arthur stared at Ratchet's right arm. Was it just him, or did the arm just twitch?

There was no mistaking it. Ratchet, Autobot medic, dead from the Ebola virus, was alive.

"Let's go," the brown-haired man said, tugging at Kate's arm. "We have to tell the Autobots.


	2. Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers, nor do I own Drift, who's been stealing my attention for the past 4 months.

Also, due to confusion on my own behalf, everyone is now G1 except Jolt, Skids and Mudflap (Movie) and Bumblebee and Wheeljack (Prime). I'm sort of confused about my Arcee, too. She's a cross between all the Arcees.

* * *

Optimus listened to the door creak open, and he entered the room to find Jolt hunched in a corner, his helm buried in his servos.

"Jolt," he called, crouching down and gently resting a servo on his shoulder plate.

The newly appointed Chief Medical Officer turned and looked at him for a moment before collapsing in a fresh wave of tears.

"Jolt, I have some news that may interest you," Optimus went on.

"What news?" murmured Jolt, not turning around.

Optimus assessed the best way to deliver the news. In the end, he chose to say it honestly, in a straightforward way.

"The workers in Liberia have reported that they have seen Ratchet's corpse move," he state, and watched as Jolt finally turned, a glint of hope in his optics.

"I am going with a team to investigate the situation."

"No!"

Jolt leant against his leader's frame, panting and trembling slightly.

"No…"

"What's wrong, Jolt?"

"I promised…"

Jolt felt more tears run down his face as he spoke about his last moments with his mentor.

"Before he left… he made me promise him that- that I'd never let anyone go to Liberia. Ever."

Optimus sighed internally, his spark weighed down with sorrow at Jolt's words.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

"For what? He's dead? That's my fault! If-"

"Jolt, don't blame yourself. I'm sorry, that… the team's already left. I'm afraid I will have to go with them."

Jolt groaned, and curled up on himself, leaving the Prime to wearily get up and take off after his team.

It had been less than a day, and he'd broken a promise already.


	3. Betoken

Five months later: I'm back! About time too. Somebody has been craving the next chapter for ages.

* * *

A figure ran down the corridor, skidding to a stop in front of the medbay, hesitating at the door. This was harder than it shoule be, opening a door and entering what was now his quarters and working space. He was wobbling on his feet, his hands shaking and unsteady as they gripped the doorknob.

Jolt entered the medbay and collapsed onto a medberth, not daring to look up. He was panting, his vents working harder than they should've been.

_A common sign of stress,_ his medical training told him.

Struggling not to cry, Jolt gripped the edge of the berth to avoid racing out the door. He would do what he came here to do.

"Wheeljack..." he choked.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't save Ratchet..."

The tears suddenly came streaming down his face. It was two days after his mentor's death, and he still cried every single time his name was mentioned. Drowning in self-hatred, Jolt assumed that he was weak, pathetic; incapable of even holding back tears.

_You should never have left Ratchet. You should've stayed, tried to save him. You could've saved him, and you let him die. You pathetic, hopeless creature! You should never have tried to help in the first place. All you do is make a mess- and now Ratchet's dead!_

"Sorry. I'm sorry, Ratchet... Wheeljack, I' sorry for breaking my promise. Please, I don't deserve your forgiveness. I let him die... you should hate me, Wheeljack, and I know you do."

There came a fresh wave of tears, and Jolt finally found the ability to look up at Ratchet's bondmate.

"Please, Wheeljack... listen to me one last time. Ratchet- Ratchet asked me to do something... he wanted you to know that he loved you. I'm sure he still loves you, wherever he is."

Jolt stood up and met Wheeljack's offline optics.

"I promise-"

He quickly reconsidered his words. He couldn't stand the responsibility of another promise.

"I'll try to save you, 'Jack..." Jolt murmured, using his patient's old nickname. "I'll try. But I can't promise. I'm sorry."

The medic turned to leave.

"Thanks for listening, 'Jack."

* * *

Once outside the medbay, Jolt considered his options. He could stay behind on the Ark- and send Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots to their deaths by an unpleasant virus. The alternate option was to break yet another promise and head to Liberia to persuade them to back out before it was too late.

That promise was already broken. And Jolt was going to fix it.


End file.
